The government should make necessary provisions in the Union Budget 2017-18 to bring infertility treatment under insurance cover, support ayurvedic medicines and improve ambulance services, according to experts.ETHealthWorld | January 25, 2017, 14:42 IST

Most of the insurance companies cover a wide range of the diseases and conditions under their medical policy, however insurance coverage for infertility treatment still remains an extremely overlooked and neglected area.

Dr Duru Shah, owner and scientific director of Gynaecworld and Gynaecworld Fertility Centre“Today infertility is a growing concern in India. It is estimated that India has over 30 million infertile couples and the number is only increasing. A large part of the population does not have access to infertility treatments as it is not only expensive but also difficult to avail at every hospital at an affordable cost,” said Dr Duru Shah, owner and scientific director of Gynaecworld and Gynaecworld Fertility Centre; president-elect of the Indian Society of Assisted Reproduction (ISAR); and former president of the Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI).

“Moreover infertility is a social burden as women often are ostracized in the society. Infertility often leads to instability in a marriage and the possibility of divorce or abandonment with consequent loss of financial security. Certain customary laws and cultural traditions lead to negative attitudes to infertile women and may potentiate the scourge of gender inequality. Therefore infertility is not just a health problem but a socioeconomic one,” added Dr Shah.

According to Dr Shah, the government should allocate budgets and take up measures to bring infertility treatment under insurance coverage; create avenues to spread awareness on infertility; and provision for state funding and public-private partnerships to enable infertility treatment options for the underprivileged.

Sanjay Dalmia, promoter of Dalmia Medicare.In an attempt to draw the government’s attention towards the need for supporting Ayurvedic medicines, Sanjay Dalmia, promoter of Dalmia Medicare, said, “Ayurveda has proved its potential time and again and we must promote this stream of medicine which is a healthcare boon that originated in India.”

Dalmia further said, “The government needs to provide a conducive eco-system domestically to encourage investment in raw material processing and infrastructure development.”

“Exports of ayurvedic drugs and allied herbal products currently stands at Rs 440 crore; however, the potential is that of over Rs 7,000 crore. We look forward to the government’s support in making India an export hub for Ayurveda medication,” he added.

Naresh Jain, CEO of Ziqitza HealthcareNaresh Jain, CEO of Ziqitza Healthcare, while speaking about his expectations from the Budget, said, "The Union Budget 2016-17 opened a lot of avenues for the healthcare sector as various schemes and policies were announced to further equip the healthcare sector of the country. While the budget specifically focused on improving the livelihood of the rural population we didn't see much focus on the Emergency Medical Service (EMS) industry.”

“The government should make more investments to raise awareness on the Good Samaritan Law so that people are not sceptical when aiding accident victims. Urban as well as rural road infrastructure needs to be improved for efficient functioning of ambulance services ensuring their response time is within the Golden Hour. Common or Unified Emergency Network service number should be established across states by partnering with private players to provide prompt quality pre-hospital care to accident victims, fire victims, pregnant women and cardiac emergencies," added Jain.